Patch 4.3: Dragon Soul raid preview

Three difficulties of Dragon Soul will be available out of the gates, including normal, heroic, and the new Looking For Raid difficulty intended to give players an easier time with casual raiding in a new, less severe setting. The raid begins at Wyrmrest Temple, where Thrall has successfully delivered the Dragon Soul that was nabbed out from under Malfurion long ago in the Caverns of Time instance The Well of Eternity. The aspects are all there, ready to deal the final blow. First, however, players face off against six bosses, and then two encounters against Deathwing.
The first fight is a mighty elemental, Morchok, who attacks Wyrmrest itself. Players then face off against Warlod Zon'ozz, Yor'shaj the Unsleeping, and Hagara the Binder, all minions of the Old Gods assisting Deathwing in his plans to destroy Azeroth. Ultraxion, a dragon of immense dark energy, will attack players on Wyrmrest, followed by an army of Twilight's Hammer drake riders led by Warmaster Blackhorn. Most interestingly absent is Chromatus, the great five-headed chromatic dragon who first appeared as an enemy in Christie Golden's Twilight of the Aspects and was pegged to be a raid boss in the coming patches.
Finally, players will take the fight to Deathwing himself, landing on his back for the first part of his encounter and then attacking him in his final form on the edges of the Maelstrom. I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am for these final raid encounters from Cataclysm. Way to turn up the epic, Blizzard.
Patch 4.3 Raid Preview: Dragon Soul
World of Warcraft patch 4.3 will offer players the opportunity to take the fight to Wyrmrest Temple and beyond, assisting Thrall and the Dragon Aspects as they seek to bring an end to the Black Dragonflight once and for all. 10- and 25-person raids will get to take on Deathwing himself, with three levels of difficulty to consider and epic gear to claim.
Forged by Deathwing during the War of the Ancients, the Dragon Soul harnessed the power of the other dragonflights, until it was ultimately destroyed. After recovering a version of the artifact from the Caverns of Time, Thrall and the allied dragonflights now rally at Wyrmrest Temple in a desperate bid to use its might to defeat Deathwing.
Created by the titans as a sanctuary for all Dragonkind, the crumbling Wyrmrest Temple is now the final hope for the forces allied against the black dragon Neltharion, once the Earth-Warder and protector of Azeroth, now Deathwing the Destroyer. It is here that the remaining aspects -- Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Kalecgos, and Thrall -- have gathered to empower the Dragon Soul -- Azeroth's last chance to stop the great behemoth. As they begin to charge the Dragon Soul with energy, Deathwing and his entire army assault Wyrmrest Temple. Players must thwart the attacking forces long enough for Thrall to charge the Dragon Soul.
Before you face Deathwing the Destroyer, you must prevail against six mighty bosses.
The most powerful elemental still under Deathwing's sway, Morchok -- once a passive guardian -- is now convinced that his only respite will come with Azeroth's demise. Morchok rages against the foundation of Wyrmrest Temple, Azeroth's last beacon of hope in the Hour of Twilight.
Countless ages ago, Warlord Zon'ozz and his soldiers waged endless war against the forces of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron. Millennia have passed, but the warlord still serves the chaotic might of the Old God N'Zoth. Deathwing has now unleashed this legendary faceless one to crush the defenders of Wyrmrest Temple.
Since the fall of the Bastion of Twilight, Yor'sahj the Unsleeping has eagerly assisted Deathwing, providing the Destroyer with the means to release more faceless ones from their prisons deep beneath the earth. Their numbers are endless and their power is beyond reckoning, and Yor'sahj intends to reap a grim reward for his faithful service.
Hagara the Binder, one of the first students of arcane magic under the Forsaken, showed surprising potential for one who had started learning so late in life. But in her undisciplined attempts to bind elementals into servitude, she was ensnared and twisted by the Windlord, Al'Akir. Now fiercely loyal to the Twilight's Hammer, Hagara binds others for her elemental masters to torment.
More an abomination of dark energy than a dragon, Ultraxion has spent his short life absorbing the essence of captured nether dragons. Ultraxion is the only twilight dragon Deathwing has praised, and his arrogance is overshadowed only by the crackling energies surging through his twisted form. Loyal to his master, Ultraxion swears to bring about the fall of Wyrmrest Temple.
Though once vast in number, only a few dozen twilight dragons now remain. Astride these hardened survivors are the last vestiges of the Twilight's Hammer's army: the elite drake riders of Deathwing's personal escort. Led by the insidious Warmaster Blackhorn, they move with unholy purpose, driven to protect their dark master.
When Deathwing first channeled the Dragon Soul's power against the other dragonflights, the massive energies that he unleashed threatened to break him apart. Rather than forgo this weapon, he had adamantium plates fused to his scales to hold his body together. Later reinforced with elementium, these plates are now his weakness -- the sole vulnerability to Deathwing's lethal presence.
Your assault on the massive Deathwing will begin a battle unlike any other. It is a fight so wide-ranging and intense that it comprises two unique encounters, taking place across Azeroth. Taking to the skies, players will parachute from soaring gunships to attack the monster mid-flight and attempt to weaken him by ripping away his armor, exposing the molten flesh beneath. Should they succeed, they will plunge into the depths of Maelstrom for the final encounter.
No adventurer has yet taken on an enemy so large and dangerous and lived to tell the tale. Will you?
Check out our previews of the forthcoming 5-person dungeons, End Time, Well of Eternity, and Hour of Twilight.
Forged by Deathwing during the War of the Ancients, the Dragon Soul harnessed the power of the other dragonflights, until it was ultimately destroyed. After recovering a version of the artifact from the Caverns of Time, Thrall and the allied dragonflights now rally at Wyrmrest Temple in a desperate bid to use its might to defeat Deathwing.
Created by the titans as a sanctuary for all Dragonkind, the crumbling Wyrmrest Temple is now the final hope for the forces allied against the black dragon Neltharion, once the Earth-Warder and protector of Azeroth, now Deathwing the Destroyer. It is here that the remaining aspects -- Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Kalecgos, and Thrall -- have gathered to empower the Dragon Soul -- Azeroth's last chance to stop the great behemoth. As they begin to charge the Dragon Soul with energy, Deathwing and his entire army assault Wyrmrest Temple. Players must thwart the attacking forces long enough for Thrall to charge the Dragon Soul.
Before you face Deathwing the Destroyer, you must prevail against six mighty bosses.
The most powerful elemental still under Deathwing's sway, Morchok -- once a passive guardian -- is now convinced that his only respite will come with Azeroth's demise. Morchok rages against the foundation of Wyrmrest Temple, Azeroth's last beacon of hope in the Hour of Twilight.
Countless ages ago, Warlord Zon'ozz and his soldiers waged endless war against the forces of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron. Millennia have passed, but the warlord still serves the chaotic might of the Old God N'Zoth. Deathwing has now unleashed this legendary faceless one to crush the defenders of Wyrmrest Temple.
Since the fall of the Bastion of Twilight, Yor'sahj the Unsleeping has eagerly assisted Deathwing, providing the Destroyer with the means to release more faceless ones from their prisons deep beneath the earth. Their numbers are endless and their power is beyond reckoning, and Yor'sahj intends to reap a grim reward for his faithful service.
Hagara the Binder, one of the first students of arcane magic under the Forsaken, showed surprising potential for one who had started learning so late in life. But in her undisciplined attempts to bind elementals into servitude, she was ensnared and twisted by the Windlord, Al'Akir. Now fiercely loyal to the Twilight's Hammer, Hagara binds others for her elemental masters to torment.
More an abomination of dark energy than a dragon, Ultraxion has spent his short life absorbing the essence of captured nether dragons. Ultraxion is the only twilight dragon Deathwing has praised, and his arrogance is overshadowed only by the crackling energies surging through his twisted form. Loyal to his master, Ultraxion swears to bring about the fall of Wyrmrest Temple.
Though once vast in number, only a few dozen twilight dragons now remain. Astride these hardened survivors are the last vestiges of the Twilight's Hammer's army: the elite drake riders of Deathwing's personal escort. Led by the insidious Warmaster Blackhorn, they move with unholy purpose, driven to protect their dark master.
When Deathwing first channeled the Dragon Soul's power against the other dragonflights, the massive energies that he unleashed threatened to break him apart. Rather than forgo this weapon, he had adamantium plates fused to his scales to hold his body together. Later reinforced with elementium, these plates are now his weakness -- the sole vulnerability to Deathwing's lethal presence.
Your assault on the massive Deathwing will begin a battle unlike any other. It is a fight so wide-ranging and intense that it comprises two unique encounters, taking place across Azeroth. Taking to the skies, players will parachute from soaring gunships to attack the monster mid-flight and attempt to weaken him by ripping away his armor, exposing the molten flesh beneath. Should they succeed, they will plunge into the depths of Maelstrom for the final encounter.
No adventurer has yet taken on an enemy so large and dangerous and lived to tell the tale. Will you?
Check out our previews of the forthcoming 5-person dungeons, End Time, Well of Eternity, and Hour of Twilight.
Filed under: Cataclysm
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
jfofla Sep 19th 2011 9:53PM
In the fight against Hagara the Binder, you will be aided by the Wizard Metamucil.
hicks Sep 19th 2011 10:09PM
Looks like your joke got...
*sunglasses*
...backed up.
YEEEEEAAAAAHHH
jfofla Sep 19th 2011 9:56PM
In the fight against Hagara the Binder, you will be aided by the Wizard Metamucil.
Fletcher Sep 19th 2011 10:12PM
But who will assist you in the fight against the Warlock Comment System?
MusedMoose Sep 19th 2011 10:04PM
...wow. That sounds epic with a capital EPIC. I have a character who's exalted with Wyrmrest, so I've spent a lot of time there... can't wait to defend it!
And thanks to the raid finder, it's awesome to know I might actually get a chance to defend it while the content's still current. Major kudos to Blizzard for giving we casuals a raid shot without taking anything away from the raiding guilds and teams. ^_^
MoarHeroisms Sep 19th 2011 10:05PM
"Countless ages ago, Warlord Zon'ozz and his soldiers waged endless war against the forces of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron. Millennia have passed, but the warlord still serves the chaotic might of the Old God N'Zoth."
So the old gods warred with each other? New to me.
Boobah Sep 19th 2011 10:30PM
Back when the elemental lords were working for the Old Gods, we knew they were warring with each other at the Old Gods' command.
Admittedly, I'd gotten the impression it was just general chaos for the Old Gods' amusement, rather than infighting. And, admittedly this implies that the Old Gods, despite being similar beings using similar methods have never worked together, which helps explain how the Titans defeated them.
sharklarson Sep 19th 2011 10:12PM
I understand that there isn't too much you can do with the dragon in game models, so I forgive you Blizzard.... But really? Warlord Zon'ozz? Come on, this raid is supposed to be a completely unique experience, and making the Vezaxx model simply vary in color is straight lazy.... could have added some cool armor, or at least a helmet or something.... listen to me...lol..... roasting the sacred cow.... This raid will be amazing!
Orrine Sep 20th 2011 8:28AM
Reusing of the old models makes me hopeful that Blizzard model designers do something else. Probably new race models for vanilla races?
Kadathwack Sep 19th 2011 10:33PM
I'm not sure what to think about the raid right now. It feels like a combination of the worst bits of Mount Hyjal and the Crusader's Coliseum: fighting off waves of enemies in a single location, and sometimes there are bosses. With reused art assets. Which I really hope are just placeholder models right now, but... if that was the case, why release screenshots?
The Deathwing encounters sound awesome, I just really, really hope that the rest of the instance won't be a disappointment.
Amaxe Sep 19th 2011 10:37PM
"World of Warcraft patch 4.3 will offer players the opportunity to take the fight to Wyrmrest Temple and beyond, assisting Thrall and the Dragon Aspects as they seek to bring an end to the Black Dragonflight once and for all."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So...
...Alliance goes /AFK again?
mazca13 Sep 19th 2011 10:50PM
Thrall's been effectively a neutral character for the entire expansion. If it's still causing you a problem...
icepyro Sep 19th 2011 11:27PM
Normally, I don't answer those downvoted so much, but one thing sticks out to me here....
"again?"
I must be tired and suffer some twisted form of an inferiority complex, but I can't think of how that "again" fits into the game I play. It's like you're saying Alliance has gone /afk when the world needs saving before. I mean, if you want to go /afk and let the Horde take credit for a raid for the first time I can think of, then please, step aside.
Also, in case you haven't been keeping up with the news, Thrall is about as much Horde as Tirion is Alliance, so don't let that fool you into thinking the Horde plays any big part here.
Natsumi Sep 20th 2011 12:09AM
@Icepyro
Don't you friggin dare give us Alliance that rat bastard Tirion Fordring, you can have him. That dillhole was frozen in an ice block for 90% of the Arthas fight yet he took credit for it like he did the whole damn thing alone. On top of that, Bolvar says don't let anyone know what happened to me and what does Tirion do, BUILDS A GIANT GLOWING GOLDEN STATUE THAT TELLS WHAT THE FRIG JUST HAPPENED TO BOLVAR!
moviewatch featured a vid of the World First downing of Tirion and I FRIGGIN CHEERED WHEN HE DIED!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onWY4Q0hIjU
Alcoma Sep 19th 2011 10:49PM
Ok, the first three heroics made me think about re subbing, but this raid and the LFR tool just sealed the deal. This sounds EPIC
Archnemesis Sep 20th 2011 1:34AM
Um... So they have announced the encounters in the 3 five mans and now the raid... Where is Chromatus fall into play?
Kadzeroth Sep 20th 2011 10:21AM
Stop reading now if you don't like spoilers:
Either Chromatus is truly dead (which I doubt given the wording used in the book), He's going to be used in at a later date in the Old Gods schemes, or perhaps he is a Heroic Mode Only boss they are keeping a secret to surprise us. My guess is the second one, but who knows.
Boozard Sep 20th 2011 1:40AM
damn! didn't think blizz had anything left for me in this game. i need to re-sub soon.
Nina Katarina Sep 20th 2011 6:47AM
OK, I like what they've outlined.
I do wish, however, that they had managed to stick a couple more bosses in there. These are going to have to be very hard encounters to last us until the next expansion comes out, unless the next expansion has a much more accelerated timeline than I thought possible. They're putting the tier pieces on bosses only, but they've also said that VP will be able to buy a lot more armor slots than previously possible. In other words, they don't really have enough bosses to properly itemize so they have to fake it.
I probably shouldn't be so negative on this before I've done a single trash pull, and I really hope that I'm wrong.
Dude Sep 20th 2011 7:47AM
Hmmm so cool.